Gyula Fülöp

Business ethics and social responsibility in transition economies

The newly developed market‐oriented system in Hungary requires new values, different abilities, and more sensitivity to a wide variety of issues on the part of corporate leadership. The nature of these values and abilities will more than likely vary depending on the industry. The purpose of this study was to examine the view of business ethics and social responsibility among Hungarian managers in both the business and non‐business sectors. The results indicate differences between the examined groups and diverse opinions among participants within each group.

The Role of Women Entrepreneurs in Hungary’s Transition Economy

The topic of women entrepreneurs is of increasing interest to educators, business people, government officials, and the general populace. The number of businesses created by women is growing in both developed and developing countries, particularly in Europe and the United States. The growth in the number of women-owned businesses should continue in many of these countries (OECD, 1986; Silvestri and Lukasiewicz, 1987), and in most at a rate faster than for men. Significant growth in women entrepreneurs has occurred in the United States where the annual increase in female self-employment in nonfarm sole proprietorships (a proxy to the number of entrepreneurs) grew by 56 percent (versus 26 percent for men) between 1975 and 1985 (OECD, 1986). By the year 2000, it is estimated that 50 percent of the selfemployed in the United States will be women. The growth in women-owned businesses on an international basis has followed the same pattern that has been occurring in the United States. This is particularly exemplified in European countries that have different degrees of government influence and control of the market orientation of their economies. In the United Kingdom, the number of women-owned businesses grew at a 20 percent rate between 1981 and 1986 (OECD, 19870During a similar time period (1980-85) selfemployment by women in West Germany increased 4 percent, with women currently accounting for nearly 30 percent of all those selfemployed while founding every third new firm (OECD, 1987a). In Norway, similar results occurred as the proportion of new ventures started

Entrepreneurship, small-and medium-sized enterprises in Northern Hungary

The Hungarian economy was based on central planning for several decades and in comparison with the dominance of the great organizations that consisted of many smaller units, the role of small-sized enterprises was marginal. The change in the political climate involved recognition of and belief in entrepreneurship and the new legal system increased the opportunity for setting up new enterprises established on private and joint capital. Nevertheless, the changes in the organizational system of companies within the national economy appear to concentrate in time and territory in Northern Hungary. Increasing unemployment inspires the start of numerous enterprises even when the experience of entrepreneurship is missing and, in addition, the inclination towards it. This may result in difficulties and danger and a study of North Hungarian small businesses is therefore useful. The aim of this research is to examine the position of SMEs in the North Hungarian industrial area, concentrating on questions that can not...

Social innovation in the Hungarian business sphere

The development of society in various ways is central to social innovation and corporate social responsibility (CSR). CSR involves deliberate acts of companies, and can lead to social innovation either in themselves or through cooperation with other social stakeholders. The aims of this study are: (1) to describe the concepts of corporate social innovation and CSR, focusing on the relationship between them, and to introduce the features of social innovation in Hungary and (2) to use quantitative and qualitative research methods to investigate how integration of the business sector and a broad layer of society can promote social innovation in a disadvantaged region. The empirical survey indicates that social innovation is needed for economic development of a region, since such innovations are capable of helping the business activity recover in disadvantaged areas.

Conceptual Model of Environmentally Conscious Strategic Management

The aim of this paper is to introduce a strategic management model that is focused on environmental consciousness. Firstly, starting from the principal foundations of environmental consciousness and its interpretation at a corporate level, it determines the external and internal factors of the strategic positioning of companies. In the next step, it summarises the possibilities for formulating strategic alternatives based on strategic behaviour and strategic orientation. Then, it describes how the individual strategic alternatives can be achieved in different contexts. Finally, it presents a number of elements that have to be considered in greater detail in the future in order to successfully implement environment-oriented strategies in practice.